Customer Reviews

The Terror: A Novel

5 star:		(178)
4 star:		(70)
3 star:		(42)
2 star:		(33)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

Wow! That's about the only word that comes to mind with regards to Dan Simmons' newest novel, The Terror. Call it a coincidence, but on the day I got the book in the mail from Amazon back around the middle of January, the science show on PBS, Nova, had an hour special on the 1845 Franklin Expedition. I watched it with great interest, wondering how Mr. Simmons was going to add to the tragic story with his novel. When I was able to start the book a few days later (766 pages of small print), it surprisingly took me almost two weeks to finish it, and I'm a fairly fast reader. I'd read each night before going to bed for a couple of hours and end up having bloody nightmares about the Arctic, the cold, the sounds inside the ships, and the strange creature lurking out on the ice, patiently waiting for each of the crew members to make a careless mistake so that it could kill them. I don't generally have nightmares, but I did with this book, which shows the utter craftsmanship that was used in its writing. I can happily blame Mr. Simmons for two weeks of restless sleep! Before I move on to a brief synopsis about the story, let me just say that I've been reading the novels of Dan Simmons since the late eighties and the publication of The Song of Kali. Mr. Simmons is one of those unique authors who can write with true excellence in any genre that he chooses--science fiction, horror, suspense, hard-boiled crime, mainstream, and now historical/horror. I've never been disappointed with a novel by Mr. Simmons, and when he sets his mind to it, he can literally scare the living daylights out of you with the written word. Few writers today are capable of doing that to a reader.

The Terror deals with the two ships and 126-man expedition into the Arctic Circle region in 1845 by Sir John Franklin, who hoped to find the infamous Northwest Passage. In September of 1845, the two ships (H.M.S. Erebus and H.M.S. Terror) found themselves trapped in a pack of crushing ice with no visible escape in sight. There was no worry at that time since both ships were heavily loaded with coal for heat, canned goods and salt pork for food, and the belief that the ice would eventually thaw and allow them to search for the waterway that would carry them to Alaska and then Russia. That wasn't to be. The ice never thawed, and the ships and men were trapped for three incredibly long years with dwindling supplies, poisonous canned food, the illness of scurvy takings its toll, and the freezing temperatures that averaged -50 Below Zero and colder. But, that wasn't the worse of it by far. Something roamed the ice that was both vicious and cunningly intelligent, and it had a distinct taste for human flesh. This uncanny creature began to slowly kill the members of the expedition one and two at a time, including the Commander of the crew, Sir John Franklin. When the Commander is killed, the duty of saving the remaining men falls onto the shoulders of Captains James Fitzjames and Francis Crozier, but it's Crozier who takes the lead, having a strong instinct for survival and an intrinsic authority for leading men. The only way to escape their perilous predicament is to walk back out the way they'd come, across hundreds of miles of frozen ice while being stalked by something that doesn't want them to get away.

As the Nova television show explained, as well as previous non-fiction books and records, no one from the expedition was ever seen again. But, what happened to everyone? This is what Dan Simmons tries to convey with his stark imagination and monstrous size novel. He gives his version of what might have happened to the 126 men of the Franklin Expedition, and it isn't a pretty one. Though I'm aware of the tremendous amount of research that Mr. Simmons had to do in order to write this novel, the book is so damn good and detailed oriented that it's like he was actually there himself. I could feel the unbelievable cold to my bones, the hunger and weariness of the men, the pungent smells and the hundreds of strange sounds below deck on both vessels, and the utter terror that was out on the ice just waiting for its chance. This novel is so well written that it should win every award that's out there, not to mention hitting the New York Times Bestseller list. I'm not kidding, either. This should at least win the World Fantasy Award and the Bram Stoker Award for 2007. During the course of reading The Terror, you will be there in the Arctic Circle experiencing the same trials and tribulations as the rest of the expedition. You'll know what it's like to be hunted, yet never knowing from what direction the attack will come or when. You'll slowly come away with a clearer understanding of what it truly means to be afraid. As an example, there's one scene where the mysterious and deadly creature gets below deck on the Erebus and hunts the members of its crew through the pitch-black darkness with screams of terror ringing out from every direction. Mr. Simmons captures the atmosphere and sense of desolation perfectly. He brings all of the characters to life. There's going to be those you care for and those you hate with a grim passion. Captain Francis Crozier, of course, is the hero of the expedition, but even he isn't prepared for the frightening challenges that face both him and his men. The Terror is certainly movie material. All through the novel, I kept seeing the British actor, Clive Owen, as Francis Crozier. If I were Dan Simmons, I'd have my agent send Mr. Owen's agent a copy of the book. Who knows what may happen. The Terror by Dan Simmons is by far the best novel of 2007 and is highly recommended to those who love vividly written stories with a strong dose of horror thrown in for good measure.

One of the things I love most about historical fiction, and history, is creation myths and the impact they have upon their culture's religion and social ideas policies. Knowing a creation myth can give you the outlook on life for an entire culture. For instance, Greeks believe that first there was chaos and out of it came love and then the world, the sky, the gods and finally animals and people. Eskimos believe something entirely different and it says much about their culture and way of life.

Now you may be asking what Eskimo creation myths have to do with a historical novel about an expedition to find the Northwest Passage which was never seen from again. The answer is quite a lot really. I won't give it away but keep in mind that the author of this novel, Dan Simmons is known mostly for his science fiction and fantasy work. Keeping with that genera, though this book is definitely historical fiction, it has heavy mystical influences and a great deal to do with the creation myths of the people who habitat the cold land near the article circle.

"The Terror" is based on real people and real events-to an extent. There was an exploratory expedition headed up by Sir John Franklin to find the Northwest Passage and the two ships were named "The Erebus" and "The Terror" and they did disappear never to be seen from again. However the events of this book are all fiction.

When we begin the story the two ships have been trapped in the ice, immobile for two years. Their food supplies are running down, and their coal, and their moral. A mysterious Eskimo woman with no speech is living with them, feared by many of the men as a witch. On top of that, a creature-seemingly a polar bear but much larger, faster, smarter and meaner than any bear could be, is stalking the members of the crew, picking them off one by one and clawing to get into the ships....

Sounds creepy doesn't it? It is, very creepy. Like reading this book at night all alone in the dark makes you think a polar bear is out to get you creepy.

It's also extremely well written and very atmospheric. I had worried at first about reading a book about a group of guys stuck all alone for two years (I admit-most books I read are about women by women) but there is not one boring page in this entire book. The atmosphere is too good. You can really feel the increasing fear and desperation of the sailors-the fear about never getting home, their hunger, their increasing madness and their complete terror of that thing on the ice. Oddly enough, though the bear is a source of terror and horror in the book, the most horrifying part of the whole novel for me was when the men started to turn to murder and cannibalism, maybe because it inspired a more rational kind of fear on my part.

One thing about this book that was kind of off-the narrative rotates around from several different crewmen, including the captain of "The Terror" Crozier, who has more chapters than anyone else. In the beginning, his chapters are all in the present tense and are the only parts of the book that are written so, but later they change to past tense and then present again. I have no idea what this means since it doesn't seem to have anything to do with his state of mind or hope about escaping the ice but I seriously doubt it was just a thing that got past the editor. I think this author is very deliberate in what he does so if anyone can tell me what this change in tense means I would appreciate it.

I do recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction, nautical fiction, horror or mythical fiction. That's a pretty broad group so basically there is something for everyone in this novel. And my little speech about creation myths will make sense in the end.

Five stars.

Staggering. This book is a litany of failure and not so subtly the failure of western civilization itself; however, there is a surprisingly redemptive streak running throughout. Simmons is a tremendous author, capable of producing masterworks in any genre of his choosing and he is at the top of his powers in this work, which though ostensibly historical fiction owes a debt to mystery, biography, horror, and science-fiction with liberal doses of Shakespeare, sociology and philosophy.

More than a retelling of the Franklin expedition to find the Northwest Passage, "Terror" is the story of Captain Francis Crozier who commands HMS Terror. Crozier has to overcome bad food, poor leadership, even poorer subordinates, mutinous sailors, cold, scurvy and a Monster, in order to reconcile himself with the future that he has seen but fails to understand. Strangely the journey through this dark and 750 plus page novel is ultimately reaffirming and as voiced by a character late in the novel, salvation was always waiting for Crozier who just had to make his choice.

Though ostensibly about failure, this book summarizes the triumph of man over adversity. Though ostensibly about discovery, the book details the tragedy of men dying needlessly within reach of the very survival skills they refused to seek much less adopt. This duality of themes gives great weight to the story; indeed, Simmons quotes liberally from Hobbes, Shakespeare, Homer, Poe and probably several others that I missed. And for fear of spoiling the read, suffice it to say that the author's erudition serves his purpose of rendering the tale disturbingly modern. It is a cautionary tale and in his wisdom, Simmons leaves us to determine what we take from it.

Oh my heavens above, this one is good. Or maybe I should choose a better adjective. "The Terror" is excellent, yes. Exceptional, definitely. Marvelous, stupendous...absolutely.

I've enjoyed several of Simmons' works, but none as much as this one. "The Terror" is different (and better) than anything Simmons has done before. The scenes of sudden violence reminded me somewhat of his earlier book "Song of Kali." Other than that "The Terror" is unique.

"The Terror" is a 19th-Century tale of the officers and crew of two ships, Erebus & Terror, trying to find the Northwest (or North-West) Passage, a water route from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Arctic Archipelago ( a group of 50 large islands in northern Canada) and along the northern coast of Alaska. Terror and Erebus get locked in the ice and stay there, forever trapped in a slowly rotating ice prison. The conditions are horrible--temperatures of fifty or more below--and the misery of the men aboard both ships is compounded by the fact that they're being hunted by a supernatural creature with awesome killing power.

Simmons tells the tale via the views of several of the books main characters. Captain Crozier (The Terror) and Sir John Franklin (Erebus) are two of the most impressive and important characters. Crozier is a near has-been and a drunk who finds solace in the bottle . Franklin is a confident hero and a man of great means. Other characters include a surgeon's mate turned doctor (Goodsir) a young Lieutenant (Irving) and Esquimaux woman named Silence (she has no tongue), a giant dolt named Manson and his weasely lover, Hickey, an old scholar named Bridgens, a grizzled Chief Petty Officer named Peglar, and several others.

The best of the story begins after the men are forced to abandon their ships and start out on foot across the hellishly cold landscape. Characters sort of...well...disappear, sometimes one by one, sometimes in groups. Ilness set in. Horrible tragedies happen. And just when you think things can't get worse, they do. And did I mention the creature?

Simmons has hit a home run with this tale of humor, horror, death, fear, violence, love, treachery, pain, loss of innnocence, and hope. THE TERROR is likely one of the best books I'll read all year. It certainly makes my list of the top twenty or so books I've _ever_ read.

The book is 769 pages, so don't go into looking for a light workout. But stay with it, let the words take you, and you'll be rewarded. There's magic in this book. Trust me.

For years now, I've heard about the award-winning author Dan Simmons and such notable works as the Hyperion Cantos, Ilium, Olympos, etc., but have never ventured to undertake one of his creations, until now. I must admit, at first I was a bit wary of reading The Terror, partly because of its length (a rather robust 766 pages) and partly because I'm not really a fan of `historical fiction'.

Once I was able to overcome my initial hesitancy, I was treated to an epic story of survival, loyalty, betrayal, fear and awakening that skillfully interweaves elements of suspense, horror and fantasy around a central storyline that is based on the real-life, yet unknown exploits of the 1845 Franklin Expedition's search for the Northwest Passage. In my opinion, this is the heart and strength of the novel, a very realistic narrative of two ship crews' struggle to stay alive while behest by harsh artic conditions, starvation, mutiny and the threat of a supernatural entity, all of which is depicted through the eyes of several different characters both major (Captain Francis Crozier, Dr. Goodsir, etc.) and minor.

In addition to the rich characterization and the vividness of The Terror's world brought to life, the storytelling is, as advertised by Dan Simmons' reputation, engrossing & masterful, though I did find the pacing of the novel to be slow and meandering at times. Other than this minor quibble, the only other complaint I have is the last 100 pages or so, which finds the narrative veering off into more mystical territory, which I personally felt did not mesh well with the human aspect that dominates the majority of the book and, in my mind, makes the story so compelling in the first place.

As a whole though, I thought that The Terror was a thoughtfully crafted and engaging adventure that has made me add Mr. Simmons to my list of "must-read authors", while also convincing me to explore his previous works...

Normally, when 250+ reviewers have had their say, I'd opt out of commenting on the book in question. However, since I doggedly stuck it out through all 769 pages of THE TERROR, I guess I earned the right to add my two cents.

First off, you have to give Dan Simmons high marks for imagination and for research. By the time you've read THE TERROR, you know more about polar exploration, ice physics, the short- and long-term effects of extremely low temperatures on homo sapiens, food canning, 19th century English social mores, Inuit culture, etc. than any 1,000 people picked at random. And, at first glance, the marvelous twist he supplies to his re-imagining of the fate of the 1845 Franklin expedition - there's a wee beastie out there as well - promises chills galore.

Though I enjoyed much of THE TERROR, ultimately I was disappointed. The book bogs down with endless descriptions of the god-awful conditions the men had to endure, way too much verbage which ultimately dilutes the book's punch. Somewhere around page 400, I stopped enjoying the tale, lost that suspension of disbelief novels need to capture to be successful and began questioning plot elements.

The book's erratic narrative style was another bump in the road. Simmons started out having characters relating events in succeeding chapters, which initially jump back and forth chronologically. Then he jettisoned that device, switching to a straight-ahead timeline before ending the book in time-out-of-space native culture mumbo-jumbo. Likewise, about halfway through, he began featuring other characters as narrators who seemed to be introduced mainly to set up a later plot development.

To his credit, many of the characters were well drawn. Crozier, Franklin, Irving, Fitzjames, the monstrous Hickey, etc. were all multi-dimensional, living-breathing people. Lady Silence was another matter. I had trouble believing she was the ultimate survival queen Simmons presented her as.

And, the wee beastie, sorry to say, just didn't scare me. None of the beast's appearances ever induced that wonderful "hair-rising-on-the-back-of-your neck" feeling you get when an author really grabs you. The monster just wasn't scary enough. And his actions - his attacks - often made no sense.

Likewise the cramped, crowded, dank hulls of HMS Terror and Erebus, were the perfect setting for creating a truly claustrophobic tale. I don't think Simmons did as good a job as he could have with that. Close but no cigar.

Without belaboring the point, Dan Simmons certainly reached high with THE TERROR but I don't feel he grabbed the brass ring. Too much cold-weather verbage, a less than terrifying monster, etc. End result: Recommended with reservations.

Warning - if you managed to skip the Booklist review posted above, don't read it. For some reason, the reviewer gives away the ending! I will never understand why people do that. DON'T DO THAT.

For many years in Los Angeles, there was a great radio show called Hour 25 that ran every Friday night and dealt with science fiction. The most significant host was Mike Hodel, but other hosts included Harlan Ellison, J. Michael Straczinski (I hope I'm spelling it right) and other genre notables. Besides hearing some great discussions, I was also introduced to a number of authors who at the time were relatively unknown, including Clive Barker, James Ellroy and Dan Simmons. Barker may be the most imaginative of the three and Ellroy the best in terms of style, but Simmons is probably the best pure writer. The Terror reaffirms that assertion.

The Terror of the title is the name of a boat that along with the Erebus, went on a British naval expedition in the 1840s. The purpose of the expedition was to find the Northwest Passage, an ocean connection between the Atlantic and Pacific that was supposed to exist above North America; if found, this would provide quite a shortcut over going around the cape of South America. The leader of the expedition and captain of the Erebus was John Franklin; the captain of the Terror and the second-in-command overall was Francis Crozier.

In the novel, Franklin, unfortunately, is something of the Peter Principle in action: a man who has risen in the ranks more through luck and perseverance than any real skill. As a result, he makes some bad decisions that eventually leaves both boats stuck in ice north of Canada; the boats will be frozen in above the Arctic Circle for over two years, trapped in a realm where the summer temperature rarely gets above freezing and the winter temperature is often fifty degrees or more below zero.

Although it seems that they are well-provisioned for such an eventuality, reality is actually much worse. Much of their food reserves are inedible and their fuel supply is insufficient. Crozier, the main character in the story, eventually takes control after Franklin's death, but even his skill (when he is not giving into his alcoholism) may not be enough. Crozier must contend with brutal cold, severely rationed food, mutinous crewmates, frostbite and eventually scurvy. All this would be somewhat workable for a good captain and crew, but there is something far worse out on the ice.

This terror (and the second meaning of the title) is a seemingly supernatural demon that cannot be killed. It is far larger than a polar bear and is not only savagely violent but also unnaturally intelligent. Somehow, it has a link with the Esquimaux woman known as Silence (who cannot speak because most of her tongue is gone) who has joined the Terror even though many consider her a witch.

Based to a large extent on fact (Franklin, Crozier and others are real people), Simmons has created an epic story of a struggle against both a deadly environment and a vicious monster. At over 750 pages, it is not a short read, but it is a reasonably fast one. Simmons, a man who has written in a number of genres (including horror, science fiction and crime novels) has now written what can be called a supernatural historical novel. My personal suggestion is read this one in the hottest days of August; this book will take you out of the heat and into a world of ice.

Dan Simmon's The Terror: A Novel is one of the most gripping stories I've read in a while. Based on real events, the story wraps itself around historical figures and stamps one possible outcome for what really happened to the Franklin Expedition. Simmons does a masterful job creating a truly overwhelming sense of isolation that must have actually plagued the real expedition. Simmon's emerses the reader in the dull day to day monotony which actually adds to the terror.

At 769 pages in length, The Terror will take the average reader a while to get through. As with any book this long there are periods when the story seems to simply die. Don't give up. Read on. You won't regret it. The mix of supernatural with historical fact is unique.

The Terror isn't a page turner but it will grip you. During the periods I wasn't reading I would find my mind wandering back to the book and the story. I couldn't wait to get back at it. The characters are well rounded and Simmon's gift of decription is singular.

The Terror will make you glad you picked the book up.

Hell is not a searing, hot netherworld. Hell is cold. Hell is very cold. Hell is service aboard a 1800's wooden ship crushed from all sides by polar ice. Hell is disease, disaster and despair at 100 below zero. Hell is a beast that slips in with the whistling wind and uses your ship as a snack tray.

I measure a book by it's aftertaste or afterimage. THE TERROR is such a book. In more than one instance I found myself pausing after a chapter absorbed in what I had just read. It is one thing to write "the wind blew" and quite another to feel the wind through the words of a good author. Dan Simmons makes you ache, sigh and wince with his words. You'll remember this book long after you are finished.